Oscillations of the California Coast. — Fairbanks. 221 
eed series is probably contemporaneous with the early Pleis- 
tocene of the valley border." It is evident that as yet we 
scarcely have information sufficient to permit a correlation of 
the movements in the Coast Ranges with those in the Sierra 
Nevada with any great degree of certainty. The recognized 
difficulty in delimiting the Miocene and Pliocene in the Sierras 
would perhaps be lessened if an attempt were made to take 
the clearly marked divisions in the Coast Ranges, due to more 
intense disturbances and changes of level, and see if a para- 
lel could not be found for them in the Sierras, rather than 
vice versa. It is possible that the uppermost portions of the 
beds which have been termed Pliocene in the Coast Ranges 
could with equal propriety be included in the Pleistocene, 
which Lindgren as well as Ashley has suggested, yet tlie im- 
portant stratigraphic break with the overlying Pleistocene 
makes a natural boundary which I do not think should be 
overlooked. The middle and lower portions of the Merced 
beds and Wild-cat series must be placed in the Pliocene if 
molluscan fauna are of any value in correlation. It seems, 
therefore, on stratigraphic grounds at least, that the limit of 
the Pliocene as determined by professor Lawson should be 
maintained. 
Prof. Lawson* would correlate the Pleistocene elevation of 
the coast with the uplift of the Sierra Nevadas which follow- 
ed the deposition of the auriferous gravels. It appears to me 
that these events have no relation to each other. The uplift 
of the Sierra Nevadas commenced before the close of the Pli- 
ocene as determined on the coast, at which time according to 
the researches of professor Lawson, the Coast Ranges were 
submerged. Lindgren says that the shore lines of the Sierras 
retreated westward during the Pliocene and if he correlates 
that time in the Siei'ras with any portion of the Pliocene on 
the coast, as he certainly must, there would appear to have 
been an upward movement of the Sierras with a downward one 
of the coast region. It is known definitely that in the earlier 
portion of the Pleistocene, as delimited on the coast, the San- 
ta Barbara islands were connected with the mainland. The 
early Pleistocene of the coast would seem to correspond to the 
middle Pleistocene in the Sierras as given by Lindgren, and 
*Bull. of the Dpt. of Geol. Vol. I, p. 158. 
